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THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS O ctober 27 - November 2, 2016 • 25

Resort & Travel The Global Entry program and TSA pre-check By MEGAN PINCKNEY Special to the AmNews

An alert pops up on m y phone that reads, "Flight is now board- ing.” This notification would be great except I’m anxiously sit- ting on a parking lot shuttle, and we are just pulling up to the airport. At this point, I’m frantic because the flight I’m current- ly running way late for isn’t even to m y destination. It’s just a lay- over, which m eans if I miss this connection, m ore than likely I’ll be stuck in the airport all day.

I charge through th e double doors with my suitcase in one h a n d an d cellphone and li- cense in the other. Before I’m even through the second set of doors I notice the security line has so m any people th a t it snakes aro u n d th e check- po in t barriers. No way I’d m ake m y flight if I had to wait in th a t line. Luckily for me, I’m w h at th e T ransportation Security A dm inistration likes to refer to as a “know n travel- er,” an d therefore I am p e rm it- ted through TSA pre-check—a program th a t expedites travel- er screening through TSA se- curity checkpoints.

I race around the snaking line of frustrated travelers and find the entrance for TSA pre-check. There, a w om an who works for the airport takes on a nightclub bouncer-like role and checks the credentials of every single person who tries to enter that lane, denying anyone whose boarding pass is not proper- ly marked. I pull up m y mobile boarding pass and she waves m e through. Like a VIP at the hottest party in town, I walk right up to the front.

There are five or so people in front of me, b u t it’s fine. This line always moves super-fast. That is because known trav- elers are n o t asked to remove their shoes, their liquids or their laptops, which su b stan - tially reduces wait time. TSA pre-check m em bers also seem to be relatively frequent flyers.

I make it through security in less than five minutes and race to my gate. When I arrive, pas- sengers are still boarding, so I sigh with relief. As I wait in line to board I can’t help but wonder why those hundreds of other passengers hadn’t signed up for the program. I had m ade it through security in hardly any time while they stood in a line

u r . v .

that was hardly moving. My guess? They don’t know any- thing about it.

What are the Global Entry Pro- gram and TSA Pre-Check?

The Global Entry Program allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to receive expedit- ed clearance upon arriving into the United States. M em- bers are able to clear U.S. Cus- tom s and Border Protection faster because of no processing lines or paperwork.

Instead of standing in a (usual- ly long) line to be processed by a Customs and Border Protection officer after deplaning, m em - bers follow signs to the Global Entry kiosks. There you’ll just scan your passport, confirm the flight you were just on, answer a

few customs questions (such as have you been in contact with livestock or do you have goods to declare), place your finger- tips on the reader, and then the kiosk will snap a photo of you. Next you’ll just place that print- out in your passport, mark the identification page, and head toward the exit. You’ll enter an - other members-only line, show that printout to the officer on duty, and then you’re done. Su- per-easy and extremely quick. This program can be used at any time when re-entering the country, but offers a great ad- vantage during super-busy travel weekends. I once passed through customs an entire hour and a half faster than a friend who was on the same flight and

was not a Global Entry member. It is worth noting that only Global Entry m embers can use the kiosks. Children, spouses and co-travelers m ust have their own profile, or they will have to be processed like normal.

Global Entry perks aren’t limit- ed to travelers who fly. Members are given a Global Entry card that can be used at land and sea- ports to get back into the United States. However, these cards are not accepted at the kiosks.

All Global Entry m em bers are given access to TSA pre- check. This program allows pre- screened travelers to expedite their security check. To receive pre-check, you’ll simply enter your known traveler number, located on your Global Entry

card, w hen purchasing a ticket from any participating airlines, which are m ost major airlines. To save time and the hassle of rem em bering to enter your num ber each time, simply add it to your frequent flyer pro- gram. This num ber allows the Transportation Security Ad- ministration’s secure flight system to verily that you are a legitimate CBP trusted traveler.

How do I become a mem ber of the Global Entry Program?

Becoming a m em b er of die Global Entry program is rela- tively easy. First you’ll create a Global Online Enrollm ent System account. T hen you’ll pay a non-refundable $100 fee before com pleting an applica- tion th at can take anywhere betw een 20 an d 30 m inutes. Once com pleted, a C ustom s an d Border Protection officer will review th a t application, approving or denying it. If a p - proved, you will be instructed to schedule a m an d ato ry in- person interview at a Global Entry Program Enrollm ent Center (diere is one located in John F. Kennedy Airport), w here you’ll n eed to bring your passport an d one other form of identification.

When I signed up three years ago, it took almost two m onths for me to get an in-per- son interview. But with nearly 50,000 people a m onth sign- ing up for the program, I bet that is still the case. If you want to join the program for a spe- cific trip, be sure to give your- self more than enough time to go through the process.

Citizens of the United States, as well as Colombia, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Neth- erlands, Panama, Singapore, South Korea and Mexico are all eligible for the program.

You can becom e ineligible if you have been convicted of a criminal offense, have pending charges or w arrants (including Driving Under the Influence) or have been found in viola- tion of any customs, im m igra- tion or agricultural regulations or laws in any country.

It doesn’t matter if you travel once a week for work, or a couple of times a year for the holidays. Becoming a Global Entry Program m em ber should be one of your travel priorities.

For m o re in fo rm atio n , visit g o es-ap p .cb p .d h s.g o v /g o es/ jsp/lo g in .jsp .

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